Lithium–sulfur batteries possess the merits of low cost and high theoretical energy density but suffer from the shuttle effect of lithium polysulfides and slow redox kinetics of sulfur. Herein, novel Co0.85Se nanoparticles embedded in nitrogen-doped carbon nanosheet arrays (Co0.85Se/NC) were constructed on carbon cloth as the self-supported host for a sulfur cathode using a facile fabrication strategy. The interconnected porous carbon-based structure of the Co0.85Se/NC could facilitate the rapid electron and ion transfer kinetics. The embedded Co0.85Se nanoparticles can effectively capture and catalyze lithium polysulfides, thus accelerating the redox kinetics and stabilizing sulfur cathodes. Therefore, the Co0.85Se/NC-S cathode could maintain a stable cycle performance for 400 cycles at 1C and deliver a high discharge specific capacity of 1361, 1001, and 810 mAh g–1 at current densities of 0.1, 1, and 3C, respectively. This work provides an efficient design strategy for high-performance lithium–sulfur batteries with high energy densities.

Lithium (Li) has garnered considerable attention as an alternative anodes of next‐generation high‐performance batteries owing to its prominent theoretical specific capacity. However, the commercialization of Li metal anodes (LMAs) is significantly compromised by non‐uniform Li deposition and inferior electrolyte–anode interfaces, particularly at high currents and capacities. Herein, a hierarchical three‐dimentional structure with CoSe2‐nanoparticle‐anchored nitrogen‐doped carbon nanoflake arrays is developed on a carbon fiber cloth (CoSe2–NC@CFC) to regulate the Li nucleation/plating process and stabilize the electrolyte–anode interface. Owing to the enhanced lithiophilicity endowed by CoSe2–NC, in situ‐formed Li2Se and Co nanoparticles during initial Li nucleation, and large void space, CoSe2–NC@CFC can induce homogeneous Li nucleation/plating, optimize the solid electrolyte interface, and mitigate volume change. Consequently, the CoSe2–NC@CFC can accommodate Li with a high areal capacity of up to 40 mAh cm–2. Moreover, the Li/CoSe2–NC@CFC anodes possess outstanding cycling stability and lifespan in symmetric cells, particularly under ultrahigh currents and capacities (1600 h at 10 mA cm−2/10 mAh cm−2 and 5 mA cm−2/20 mAh cm−2). The Li/CoSe2–NC@CFC//LiFePO4 full cell delivers impressive long‐term performance and favorable flexibility. The developed CoSe2–NC@CFC provides insights into the development of advanced Li hosts for flexible and stable LMAs.

Lithium is deemed as the anticipated anode for the next-generation energy storage system. Nevertheless, its commercial application is greatly hindered by the uneven deposition and volume expansion in the process of lithium plating and stripping. Here, a three-dimensional lithiophilic current collector with in situ grown CuO nanowire arrays on Cu foam has been demonstrated to effectively ameliorate the above problems. Beneficial from the large specific surface area and lithiophilicity properties, CuO nanowire arrays prominently diminish the local current density and nucleation overpotential, resulting in uniform lithium deposition. Moreover, the optimized anode exhibits a prolonged lifespan for more than 280 cycles at 0.5 mA cm–2 and a high coulombic efficiency of 95.5% for over 150 cycles at 3 mA cm–2 in an assembled half cell, which is maintained steadily for 540 h in a symmetric cell with good capacity retention capabilities in a full cell. This facile approach provides a feasible strategy to realize stable lithium deposition and a high-performance lithium metal anode.

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